LARRY KEEL & NATURAL BRIDGE

05/28/2009

Visulite Theatre (18 +)

Doors Open: 7:30 - Headliner Begins: 10:30

MICRO / IMPORT DRAFT SPECIALS

"a phenomenally talented musician- stretching far beyond the boundaries of mainstream bluegrass."
- Les McIntyre - Bluegrass Unlimited

"[Keel's] music is original - not too far out. It is heartfelt, with solid roots - [music that is] new, raw, exciting, and real"
- Dan Miller - Flatpicking Guitar Magazine

"[Keel] has lit a fire in me. Playing with him has brought me to new levels"
- Curtis Burch - founding member of New Grass Revival

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge

Connecting traditional songs of yesterday with their own original and inventive sounds of today, Larry Keel & Natural Bridge create astonishingly powerful acoustic music rich in heritage, heart and hot licks! With a style that evokes both atomic rock energy and dynamic tonal purity, Keel and his ensemble are intent upon taking their instruments and their voices to their fullest potential for emotion and amazement. While paying respect to the legacy left by the forefathers of bluegrass, Keel bridges the gap between traditional and contemporary American Mountain Music. Larry Keel & Natural Bridge includes flatpicking guitar master Larry Keel (guitar, vocals), Jenny Keel (bass fiddle, vocals), Mark Schimick (mandolin, vocals), and, Jason Flournoy (banjo, vocals).

Born and raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Larry Keel is a young veteran musician who has always been immersed in the traditional ways and etiquette of playing mountain music. Both Larry’s father and brother (themselves skilled and versatile acoustic musicians) influenced the younger Keel to thoroughly master the foundations of acoustic guitar (tune, timing, tone) before venturing into his own original territory. From a very young age, Larry made it his goal to honor and preserve the discipline of the Traditional Bluegrass music he knows and loves, while expressing his own ideas through acoustic music.

At 18 years old Keel became a contracted musician to play Bluegrass at the Tokyo Disneyland theme park in Japan for 7 months (6 shows a day, 6 days a week). Back in the States Larry joined up with like-minded Bluegrass pickers young and old to travel the festival and fiddler’s convention circuit of the entire east coast. Keel’s long time friend and banjo player Mark Vann (Leftover Salmon) encouraged him to travel to Colorado to attend the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and compete in its prestigious guitar competition. That year he won first place, and by 1995 he and long-time Bluegrass peer Will Lee (son of Ricky Lee from Ralph Stanley’s band) led their string band Magraw Gap to victory in the Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition. Moreover, Larry again competed in and won first place in the guitar competition at Telluride that year. In fact, the band and all its incredibly talented members won awards in the competitions in 1995.
 

www.larrykeel.com

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TONY FURTADO

Start Time: 9:30

Acoustic bluesman, slide guitarist, banjo wizard songwriter with an emotionally riveting voice

 

"He mixes bluegrass roots with a mainstream pop streak, easily holding the spotlight, thanks to his restrained virtuosity on acoustic and slide guitar and a warmly engaging voice reminiscent of T Bone Burnett, sans preachiness."       - PASTE Magazine


From the very first moments of "Used," which opens Tony Furtado's new album, Thirteen (coming Jan. 23 on Funzalo Records), it's clear that the prodigious instrumentalist turned singer/songwriter is a man on a mission. This bracing rocker, with its galloping ZZ Top groove and restless Tom Petty vibe, establishes the album's interlocked themes of "good luck/bad luck/no luck" (as Furtado puts it) on both the personal and political levels, while a phalanx of fretted instruments provides a thrillingly visceral reminder of Furtado's prowess as an ax wielder of the first order.

On Thirteen, this rapidly maturing artist fulfills the immense promise of his 2004 breakthrough These Chains, his initial foray into songwriting and singing. While Furtado's 2005 outing, the literally solo Bare Bones, pushed the technical envelope as he recorded his own one-man tour, the expansive Thirteen reveals an artist with a great deal on his mind and a full arsenal of skills with which to express his thoughts and feelings in a captivating way. "These Chains was my first serious attempt at songwriting," says Furtado, "so it was a trial by fire, with a bit of experimentation. This time I had the chance to go deeper."

 

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THE MOONSHINE RACERS

Start Time: 8:30

The Moonshine Racers are a North Carolina based band which performs a self described style of music called "Prograssive-Y'allternative". The band has existed since early 2001, and in that time has played numerous festivals, clubs, weddings and other private events and functions. Members have shared the stage with such musical greats as Doc Watson, Moe, Acoustic Syndicate, The Larry Keel Experience, former Newgrass Revival member and dobro wizard Curtis Burch, the Gibson Brothers, David Allen Coe, Goose Creek Symphony, Darrell Scott, Guy Clark, and the Seldom Scene among many others.

The band draws on a variety of influences including bluegrass, classic country, jazz, blues, old-time, gospel, rock and roll and American roots music. The individual members of the band have almost 100 years of combined musical experience among them.
Lead guitarist and vocalist Cito Giulini, combines his Latin upbringing (born in Caracas, Venezuela) and his classical guitar training to create a unique and compelling guitar style which can range from soft and subtle to towering and powerful. He is alumni of the popular North Carolina jam bands Liquid Sound and the Other People. Banjo player Tommy Rapé(pronounced rah-PAY) is a native of the Charlotte area and began playing at an early age in school bands. He started on stringed instruments with guitar but soon found his affinity for the banjo and started developing the "hot as a firecracker" style he still uses today. Bass player Rick Stapleton (who replaced original bass player Tim Conard in spring 2003 (Tim is still an occasional guest of the band), also received some of his earliest musical experiences in school band. Incidentally, Rick professionally repairs and maintains woodwind and brass instruments. His many years of experience with several different bands have solidified his fluid yet forceful bass style. In addition, his strong vocals add a whole new element to the band's sound. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Fudd McKinney draws upon his Appalachian mountain heritage and love of bluegrass and roots music to write songs that reach back into the past but are also firmly planted in the present. McKinney's passion is educating himself and others about the many varied musical styles he loves.

 

www.moonshineracers.com